Disclosure
The last time we traveled to Orlando was in 2018, before the pandemic, and our daughter was a year old, so a lot has changed since then. But if you are traveling with a baby, you can check out my previous Disney post for tips.
Now that our child is nine, we were able to do a lot more at the parks, and trying to squeeze them all into one post is pretty much impossible, so I will do a separate post for each Disney Park with our favorite rides, activities, foods, etc. (I'll update links at the end of this post as they are published.)
However, here are some general tips and advice based on our experience:
Tip 1 - Stay in a Resort Hotel
I would recommend this for both Disney and Universal. The perks of staying on-site are free bus transportation to the parks and early entry. That early entry is a must if you want to avoid long lines and get on some of the more popular rides, such as Rise of the Resistance and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
Another thing to note is that buses start running an hour before early entry, so they can get you to the park 30-45 minutes before opening. We did this, and then while waiting for the ticket gates to open, we applied sunscreen.
Tip 2 - Take Mears Connect to Disney World
If traveling from the airport to Disney World, use the Mears Connect bus. It was just over $50 for the three of us (one way). You can book in advance online, but they also accept walk-ups at the airport. We found it convenient and easy to use. They do offer a return service too, but we were going to Universal after Disney.
Tip 3 - Use Uber to Universal
To get from Disney to Universal, we used Uber. It was cheaper than renting a car and more convenient than trying to figure out public transportation. We used Uber again to get from our Universal hotel to the airport. Each trip only cost us about $35.
We may have been able to save a few bucks too if we had done an Uber from the airport to Disney instead of Mears, but I didn't trust our plane to arrive on time, and it didn't! We actually had to switch planes in Atlanta, so we ended up arriving about 3 hours later than we had planned in Orlando. I would've had to deal with canceling and rebooking if we had gone with Uber. Whereas Mears Connect gives you 48 hours to use your pass, so no need to reschedule if your flight is delayed.
Tip 4 - Get the Disney & Universal Credit Cards
I applied for the Disney Visa card before going to Disney World because they had a deal where if you spend $500, you get a $150 statement credit. Just use it to pay for your tickets or hotel, and you'll get the statement credit easy peasy. The added benefit of the Disney Visa is you get 10% off food and merch at the parks. There are also dedicated meet and greets for cardholders, and you get the photos for free (no need for Photopass). We met Stitch in Hollywood Studios (no line), and we met Minnie Mouse in Epcot (about a 20-minute wait).
Normally, I don't recommend the dining plan, but this year we did it as Disney had a summer deal where kids get a free dining plan with an adult dining plan. For more saving tips at Disney,
check out my previous post here.
I totally dropped the ball on Universal, though. I didn't even realize they had a credit card until we got to the parks. It was the end of the second day when we found out that their credit card would give you 10% off and a $100 gift card to use at the park. By then, we had already bought all our souvenirs, so we missed out on some savings.
Universal also has a gift card deal where you can get a free first-generation interactive wand. There's a $300 option that gets you the free wand, and then there's a $500 option that gets you a free wand, lanyard, and 10% off merch. Unfortunately, we didn't discover this deal until the last day. But we noticed a lot of kids struggling with getting the wands to work in the park, so we figured it was for the best that we didn't participate in the spell casting; otherwise, we wouldn't have had time for all the rides and shows.
The gift card is only good on merch, not on dining, though you can use it to buy candy and drinks in the stores. It also doesn't expire.
Tip 5 - Pack Light
Our family of three managed to travel with three carry-ons and three backpacks. We each only packed five outfits for our ten-day trip. I did laundry once at Disney and once again at Universal.
Laundry was a dollar cheaper at Disney ($3.25), so I would recommend doing it there if you can. We probably could have packed our soiled clothes but I lucked out and didn't actually have to pay for laundry at Disney (downloaded the app and it gave me a free wash, then someone gave me their dryer, which had 30 minutes left, which was enough to get the clothes mostly dry, so we just hung them on the clothes line in the shower), so I decided to do laundry again at Universal. The wash was $4.25, and the dry was $4 for 60 minutes, which was plenty.
I recommend packing laundry detergent sheets. Not only are they eco-friendly, but they also aren't a liquid, so they can easily be tucked into your suitcase.
Packing light avoids having to check bags and allows more room for souvenirs.
Bonus tip: Pack older clothing so if you do need to make room, you can toss it. We ended up tossing a couple pairs of shorts, a shirt, and underwear.
More Detailed Reviews of Each Park:
I will add links later as posts are published, so please check back if there's a specific park you're interested in.
Disney World
- Hollywood Studios
- Magic Kingdom
- Epcot
- Animal Kingdom
Universal Studios
- Epic Universe
- Universal Studios Florida
- Islands of Adventure
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